We rode on in silence, our presence would have gone unnoticed on the silent streets of Bree if not for the rather loud steps of Aragorn�s steed, with Elendil�s being so silent, contrasting. He seemed to know where he was going, and definitely, it was not to Rivendell, for that would require easterly traveling, and he was leading me deeper into the northern section of the village. Questioning him was hardly what I had in mind, although I would have liked to know what was happening. All too soon? What was to be all too soon? The morning and I wouldn�t have had adequate sleep? Didn�t need him to tell me that.
I wished that I was back at the Prancing Pony, although I wouldn�t have done much more sleeping for the rest of the night, anyway, after so many interruptions. The familiar little stone and wooden houses soon gave way to larger farms with well-worn paths leading away from the main road. A dog barked in the darkness. Tired, I tried to hide a yawn.
"I thought elves were of high endurance." He answered roughly, "As are the descendants of the ancient kings of the North."
"Probably." Shrugging, I easily answered, "Your endurance has nothing to do with me."
"Fair enough." Aragorn became silent again, being not the too-talkative type. Most likely, it came with the Ranger of the North job description. Although he did not speak, he seemed to be studying me, and I could feel his steely gaze. "I am not at liberty to leave Bree just yet and it would be difficult to find another Ranger; I have another individual in mind."
He grew silent and I did not answer, letting Elendil follow Aragorn automatically, as he seemed to know exactly where we were going. Eventually, sometime before dawn, we turned off the main road which had left Bree so long ago and the dust raised by hooves became gradually visible. Even parcels did not get handed around like this. As I was blinded by the rising sun, I finally voiced, "I thought we were going to Rivendell. I suppose we are not."
"My, my, my," He mused, with a small laugh, "Who was it merely hours ago, remarking that they did not wish to see Rivendell again so soon?" I tightened my grip on the reins and Elendil sensed my tension, flicking back her ears. "We are not seeking the Last Home by the normal route, although you will journey there immediately in the company of someone I trust will be able to aid you."
"Me?" I sputtered, and though I had not noticed it before, there, ahead of me, something moved slightly in the shadows of the tall, majestic trees framing the clouds of dust. No one could move through shadows in that manner! No one but . . . "An Elf. You want me to keep an elf company?"
"Yes, yes, tell me a few jokes, sing me a few songs and we will be in Rivendell-ie sooner than we would have first suspected!" Not even a sprig of grass bent under the nonexistent weight of the elf who though tall as the elves of Rivendell, was hardly as fair as the elven lords who likewise expressed such a powerful presence. Darker than the wings of Gwaihir were his long locks, simply tied back from a rather cheerful face which sported a large grin as he dropped a quick bow, "Lindir of Rivendell at your service, Aragorn, as well as yours, Lady Aranndil." Aragorn simply gave a slight nod and I noticed the object in the minstrel�s hand was a wooden flute and across his back, his harp. Hardly the bow and quiver I had suspected.
"Of Rivendell?" I asked slightly, and realized I was staring. "You�re the minstrel of Rivendell? I cannot recall that we have ever met and I have dwelled there for many years." I had always believed that the minstrel was someone of far greater years, but he seemed to be full-blood Elf, and hence, a great thousands of years older than I.
"Ah, but you have heard my music!" Lindir grinned, displaying slightly large teeth, "I can remember when you were only knee high to a hobbit! And now! All grown!" He looked ready to pull out a hanky and start to sniffle, but another look at Lindir told me that he was not the simple minstrel I had first regarded him as. At the elf�s side hung a large, but covered sword and his hands seemed to work on more things than just harp strings.
"Now let us not bring out the baby portraits!" Aragorn laughed, and motioned towards the rising sun, "I must be back in Bree by dusk and I trust that both of you can find your way back to Rivendell without further delay." He suddenly fixed his cold eyes on mine, "And do not trust anyone on the road you may meet. The Shadow spreads its reach day by day, and sometimes it is hard, even for me, to distinguish between the light and the darkness."
"Rivendell?" Lindir asked suddenly, looking up at us, for we were still mounted, "I have a quick errand to run in Mirkwood first. Lord Elrond has sent me abroad to gather up some old tunes he seems to have lost the music of."
"Old tunes?" The Man�s face paled slightly, but seemingly, nothing escaped my sharp eyes, "Of Mirkwood?"
"Hardly for you to worry about." The elf hurriedly sputtered, and pulled out a little wooden whistle on which he gave a little toot. "My horse has wandered off again, while I was taking a nap."
"I had warned Elrond to keep track of his music, as with the Elven King." Aragorn replied in a steady voice, "I can not believe that they so readily fail in their trust."
"It was a very popular tune." Lindir answered in the same tone, "The lyrics were of great value to some. And in the wrong hands . . . even beautiful music can turn horrible." Both of them fixed their eyes onto me and I grinned sheepishly. True, I could not play the harp as well as I should be able to, but I didn�t think my flute skills were that shaky. "If I do not hurry, I fear that this tune will slip forever out of our grasps."
"Well, Em." Aragorn forced a grin, "Are you up to chasing around some old tunes?"
A bewildered look was all I gave them, but by this time, Lindir�s gigantic black horse had plodded out of the trees and was playfully nibbling at the multicolored ribbons tied to the minstrel�s harp. "Hey!" Lindir tried to snatch his harp away from the horse, but the animal simply laughed in its horsy way and grinned, baring teeth. "That�s where all the tunes have gone . . . straight to the horse�s mouth!"
"The day grows ever brighter," Aragorn turned his horse about, and gave us both a look over, "I believe we shall meet again shortly, under less pressing, but much direr circumstances." Without a further word, he had gone, almost as shifty as the elf himself. I stared at the minstrel who was still trying to untangle ribbons from his horse�s teeth, and I remained silent, though Elendil grew slightly impatient.
"Mirkwood, once Greenwood the Great." Lindir announced proudly, easily climbing with elvish grace onto his horse which was at least a hand larger than my own mount, "What will we find there?"
"Big spiders?" I shuddered involuntarily and found a hand straying towards my bow, "Please tell me that there aren�t any big spiders!"
"Unfortunately, there are. Left from the First and Second Age." The elf replied lightly, "I was on my way to find Aragorn, but now I suppose this works out for the best." Before I could ask anything, Lindir quickly grinned, "We have known of each other for so long, fancy finally meeting. Anyhow, what kind of rider are you?" Elendil huffed loudly. "Your horsie is elvish?"
"From Rivendell." I confirmed, all the while staring at his large horse which easily had dwarvish pony blood, "Why does it matter?"
"Tunes will go stale, if you take my meaning," Lindir raised an eyebrow as he saw that I did not, but at the same time, not bothering to explain, he whistled to his gigantic black shadow which began eating up the earth beneath its hooves as though nothing. Wow. Who was in a hurry? Without any urging from me, Elendil took up the challenge and sprang after the other horse, matching it stride for stride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I think we should stop here and see where we are off to." No sooner were the words out of Lindir�s mouth did his horse instantly stop and stood on the sloping field, the tall wild grasses blowing gently in the breeze. Elendil was not to be outdone, stopping quickly on a dime, and as though knowing of her accomplishment, turned to the shadow creature and gave a horsy snort. Humor was far from Lindir�s dark eyes, though, as he gazed over the open field, the sun having nearly finished its voyage and touching the far horizon. I followed his gaze, shading my eyes with a hand to see that at the bottom of the rolling hills was the beginnings of a forest, dark but great. "Indeed." Lindir whispered, "Mirkwood the great."
"What is our purpose there?" I asked quietly, lowering my eyes to Elendil who pawed at the ground, anxious to turn and leave, "There seems to be great evil there."
"Yes," Lindir gazed down at my horse and his, white and black contrasting sharply, "The animals know. Yet it is not your purpose within, but I can not say anymore. Perhaps you should," He looked around, but then shook his head, "No, it is not my lot to advise you. Do as you will, Aranndil."
"Emily." I corrected a little too sharply but then took a deep breath, "If Aragorn set me on this path, then I believe I can follow it until the end as he means me no harm." He did not reply, thus I continued, "Unless you do not enjoy my company. If it is that, then speak, for I shall find my own way to Rivendell."
"Of course that is his meaning, but even the descendants of Numenor cannot dictate the path on which you travel." Lindir answered ominously, but then gave me a little smile, "But then, no words can express my gratitude to you for accompanying me on this little quest of mine." His eyes strayed towards my bow, "After all, I can hardly watch my own back and who could ask for more pleasant company on the road?" He nudged at his horse who descended the slopes, much more slowly than our break-neck pace of the previous and seemed reluctant, but willing at the same time. Elendil followed suit, though uneasy until I patted her soft neck lightly.
"Aragorn." I laughed, trying to lighten the mood, "He had mentioned to me that there are dangers in those woods that my weapons could not protect me from. I hope he did not mean the big spiders."
"Partially." Lindir confirmed, "Though I have not seen such evils with my own eyes and I have traveled into Mirkwood many times." Seeing that I was quite shaken by this, he offered another smile, "The Wood Elves know of our coming and they will be sending an escort at the edge of their realm. We should not have to fear the spiders." Elendil�s steps seemed lighter. "I hear that the elves mark them for sport in these woods, hence their marvelous skill in archery."
"I�ve just practiced with butts." I muttered, half to myself, "Never moving targets, though."
"Wood elves use moving butts." Lindir laughed again, and seemed ready to burst into song, but reconsidered, slouching down in his saddle slightly.
"Moving butts?" I asked weakly, "How can you make them move? They are not alive."
Lindir rolled his eyes, "Moving spider butts. Very much alive."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What is that?" The sun had long set and though my eyes had adjusted to the dark, it did not take elven vision to tell me that the light and thin spun fibers hanging taunt on the black trees of Mirkwood were hardly the Wood Elves� laundry. "Sheets?"
"If time were not of the essence I would not be traveling here at this time." Lindir answered solemnly, but then fixed troubled eyes on me, "If I had to choose again, I would not have brought you here. But then again, misery loves company."
"This is hardly misery," I tried to lighten the mood, but this was nearly impossible with a white knuckled hand gripping my strung bow and the horses proceeding at a slow walk, careful to avoid any of the many dead branches that lay strewn across the forest floor. "More or less a hunt for lost tunes." Lindir gave a weak smile, but something in the darkness chose the moment to unleash a loud croak, and though I did not leap half out of the saddle, my heart pounded painfully. "Lady Arwen would not approve. Perhaps it might do us both some good if we refrained from mentioning this to her."
"Wouldn�t take me much refraining." Lindir answered softly and the light breeze of the plains now grew to a heavy wind, sending up choruses in the leaves and magnifying the sounds of the night, from our breathing to the horses� hooves upon the road. "The Wood Elves reside in the eastern region of these woods. There are certain areas even their armies do not dare wander."
"That is nice to know." I gripped the reins tightly, though I knew that Elendil would not toss me in a tight situation, and looked down at my bow. Would that or a sword do me better? Frankly, I had no intention to getting within sword range of anything that would require its use. Lindir had removed his beribboned harp from his back and the instrument now hung wrapped from his saddle, hardly entertaining. Gazing out into the woods, the wispy sheets hanging from the trees grew more and more frequent, thicker and stronger. I wiped a sweaty hand on my cloak, but did not mention anything to Lindir who to all outward appearances, remained calm.
"This road is hardly well maintained." Lindir remarked as we avoided a rather large and dark crack in the dirt, suspicious bubbles rising to the top and cracking loudly, "Potholes."
"To all appearances," I answered, "This does not seem to be a popular tourist attraction." Instead of the thin ropes of white dangling from the trees, these sheets became not only thicker, but much larger and patterned, white only stained with dark dripping patches. The cold night suddenly became colder, but at the same time the dark pressed in on us at all sides, oddly choking. "Lindir?" I asked timidly, "I think it�s past my bedtime."
"Mine too." He answered, "I do not seem to recall this way. There were never this many . . ." Lindir faltered as he looked about, "Webs."
"I had hoped you wouldn�t say that." I shuddered, and wondered what kind of swordsman he was, "Please promise me we will not see a spider."
"Yet we see their signs all around us." Lindir answered coolly, "I am sure that we have not wandered from the path of the Wood Elves." At the same time, his voice dropped a slight notch and his cool demeanor slipped to show through a bit of his fear. Did Elven lords even feel fear? But yet as I looked at him again, Lindir�s age and experience were against him, though his calm and bravery certainly matched those of the mighty lords of Rivendell. I wiped at sweaty palms again. Could hardly say the same for me. "The path continues, and we will follow. Daylight should not be far."
"Do spiders fear the light?" I asked, looking about, "The morning?"
"Even the bright light of the sun will not be able to shine through the shadow which lies on Mirkwood. Not for many years, yet." The elf replied, "This is your first time out of Rivendell?"
"No." I replied, slightly offended, "I have been around Middle Earth. Just not Minas Tirith."
"The White City." Lindir growled, "And this to be your first experience of the outside world? If you had known that this was what awaited you outside your world of straw archery butts and fair flowing robes, would you have taken this venture?"
"Me?" I growled, "How many times have I begged Father for adventure? I had always thought that it would take place during daylight hours. And yes, even if Mirkwood was to be my greatest challenge, I still would have done all that I have." We were silent for a moment, broken only by the night sounds of a forest and Lindir�s growling stomach. "Spiders are not the only evil of Mirkwood. I have heard tales of wargs and dark wizards."
"Wizards." Lindir frowned thoughtfully, "Wargs would not be too difficult � if it bleeds, then we can kill it. But wizards . . . they�re an entire story all together." He paused, "Those are hardly bedtime stories to tell to children."
"Regular repertoire if your Father was of the Istari." I growled, "Not to mention stories on gigantic goblin men and elven lords fighting dragons." The elf opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment, something flitted overhead on almost silent wings. We both turned to look, my own line of vision along the shaft of the arrow I had at ready, but there was nothing. "Elves LIVE in these woods?"
"Yes." Lindir answered calmly and lay his naked blade across his knees, "Among other things." As if to illustrate his point, the Elven blade glowed slightly blue, but not at an intensity to warn. "Orcs about. Perhaps hunting at this time of the night. A little elf steak maybe on their menu." The elf has mentioned this with a completely straight face. "I do not plan to be their supply." A soft clicking sound reached my ears. Lindir turned to me, "Teeth clattering?"
"No." I answered, gulping, "I am not afraid." The elf raised his eyebrows. "Alright. I am not THAT afraid." Lindir grinned, but the expression was quickly wiped off his face when came another click. This one louder. Over the still sounds of night, the grass rustled and a twig snapped. "That is nothing elvish."
"Far from it." The sharp click seemingly came from above and though we both gazed into the canopies of leaves, there was nothing hanging from the trees but those disturbing fine sheets of the spiders. Lindir�s breathing was so soft I could hardly catch it, but the next click placed the thing behind me. I swung about in the saddle, and the elf at my side hissed, "I do not like this."
Blood pounding coolly through my veins I took a deep breath of cold air as yet another click came. Elendil was rock steady, though I could feel her nervousness and I quickly drew on elven calmness to slow her racing heart. "Lindir?" I whispered softly, "What is this?" The clicks came more and more rapidly now, and the shuffling through the grass much louder, the sound magnified by the night and my fear. "Should we not proceed?"
"We will not outrun it." Lindir tossed a look over his shoulder, "Not at night, not in these woods." He swung his horse about, and I followed suit, "Aragorn was wrong about this." I nervously fingered the fletchlings of the arrow I held loosely in my fingers, as the elf set his jaw, "Perhaps the road ahead is clear, but I would rather face the end then have my back to it." His eyes left the clicking for the briefest moment and stared into mine, "Just when I was being to enjoy myself too. This is awfully inconvenient."
"What is it?" I asked again, and the elf seemed reluctant to answer, "You know me too well for this Lindir! I will not bolt! I need to know what to aim for! I don�t need my life to be sugar coated!"
"Perhaps your heart is too strong for your own good. I would send you off, but I know that you will never go." He answered grimly, "Here it is. Not sugar coated. Female spider, limbs probably thicker than any Mallorn I have ever laid eyes on." Click. Click. "Those flimsy elf bolts would fly from her hide." Click. Click. "The Wood Elves . . . ever since the Last Alliance, always the ones who are . . . DELAYED!" A sudden silence filled the darkness, and I strained my eyes into the forest. The clicking stopped. Silence. The wind whispered through the leaves.
"Wizards are never late . . ." I whispered more to myself, "They arrive precisely when they mean to."
The ground beneath the horses� hooves began to shake and all Elendil had time for was half a step backwards before she came. Finally, the protective curtains of night were drawn back and a horrid, pungent scent of decaying flesh surrounded me in a choking dust before I saw them. There, out of the pure darkness of night came towering, glistening orbs, each capable of deadly sight, just above almost elf-sized pincers, dripping with sparkling drops of venom, waiting for something to fill her volumes of decaying flesh molded into some form of a hair ridden shadow of a shape.
"Imladris!" Lindir screamed as his blade suddenly flamed a brilliant green and with some quick footwork, his horse leapt backwards, taking him out of range from yet another snap of those dripping jaws. Faster than her hideous eyes could follow, my elven bolt flew into one of the dark orbs, and with an implosion, the glistening light was no more.
A hideous screech tore from the throat of the spider as she swung towards me, the surrounding trees breaking from her wrath, and I was fumbling so much that my next arrow went hideously off course and as Lindir has predicted, did not make even a dent in her large body. Another light disappeared into blackness with my third arrow, but the cluster of eyes stared back, as though daring me to even consider extinguishing them all. Dripping jaws opened wide and Elendil nearly ran backwards as arrow after arrow left my fingers as I tried searching for a soft spot on her body, but there was none to be found. Wizards. Old myths. Dragons. Stomachs!
Suddenly, Elendil stumbled on something and the spider overstepped one gait too far and I loosened a powerful arrow that short distance to her belly, but similar to the rest of her, the arrow did not even scratch the surface. The spider had realized her mistake and lowered her head to observe my position, pausing briefly, but that slight moment of hesitation was all Lindir needed. His shadow horse�s hooves pounded loudly on the dirt as the elf crouched down, the spider�s position lifted its stomach just high enough for the horse and rider to pass on through and retreat. Blade raised, a glowing green arc about the slower spider�s stomach appeared, though this soon diminished to the pouring of the spider�s dark fluids. Elendil had enough wits about her to pull me out of harm�s way, the spider crashing down on her front in self protection and perhaps pain.
In the clearing she had just formed, the spider bent its limbs and pressed its belly to the ground, and though Lindir rode with his blade along her outer hide, it was to no effect. Out of perhaps simply panic I emptied my quiver in her now still eyes, my aim much improved though on the sunny fields of Rivendell I had hardly believed that this darkness would be where I would be aiming. When my fingers finally touched nothing, I drew my own elven blade, though mine did not glow green and was considerably shorter than Lindir�s. There was no light in the eyes and I could not see how many I had destroyed. Not all, though, for I could see a slight glimmer of reflected green in one.
I steadied Elendil and Lindir was suddenly at my side, his glistening blade darkened with dripping blood. He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words came, the spider suddenly turned and leapt before us in one motion, jaws clicking. Careful to keep her belly close to the ground, it did not immediately advance on us, but from her injured section came a flow of those sheets we had seen before dangling from trees. At her height, she spun her wicked web as though a gigantic wall, up and down the dark boles of the trees. The light emerged once again, and unlike the swarm of orbs present before, now there were only two, with such malice brimming I shuddered.
"We�re being fenced in!" Lindir screamed, and suddenly, it seemed that the very forest around had turned on us, trying to fence us in. The spider was turning furiously, eyes fixating on us, unblinking. "Two more! She has to use her eyes!" With another cry for Rivendell, the elf drove his mount in one direction while I pulled Elendil in the other. The spider followed my horse, perhaps because it was white in all this darkness and as her attention was ripped from Lindir, the elf leapt from his mount and onto the foul form of the spider.
"Arrows!" I swore angrily and instantly, the answer to my prayers came. From my previous attempts, the ground lay littered with arrows, some broken from the spider�s weight. Not on Elendil could I reach them, but as the spider was busy trying to toss Lindir, but dismounting was not to be a problem for my consideration.
The dark form of the spider suddenly swung towards us and in a frenzy, Elendil rose onto her hind legs and if I had half a mind to stay on, I could have easily, but purposely I loosened my grip and felt myself crumple onto the ground, pain shooting through my leg. Dropping the elvish blade with quick efficiency, I groped for an arrow just with my reach and from my vantage point, easily landed it in one of the spider�s gigantic eyes and the beast staggered, roaring in pain.
"Lindir!" I screamed, "Get off!" Having just been thrown by a gentle horse I couldn�t even dream of what would result from being tossed by a spider and having to explain to Lord Elrond why his minstrel sported a broken neck was not up my alley. "Now! What are you doing?"
As though crazed, the spider flung her body about banging into as many trees as possible, and by grabbing onto a fistful of matted hair upon her head, Lindir still had a hold on her as I looked about for an arrow not already crushed by the spider�s crazy rampage. In the middle of a fling, the spider made her second mistake for the night. She swung backwards and Lindir flew the opposite way, and with a powerful scream plunged his dripping blade deep into the spider�s final eye. Unlike my arrows, the blade disappeared all the way within the folds of broken tissue and screech radiating through the entire forest, the spider fell to the littered forest floor, her massive weight causing leaves to fall from the trees.
"Wow." Lindir whispered as he slowly drew out his blade which was covered with chunks of dark tissues, "Let�s not do that again."
"Are you kidding me?" I growled and picked up my elven blade, "We should not have lived in the first place." It was only then we both noticed the extent of the spider�s wall. A few more moments and she would have been able to fence us in. I gulped, "Let us go?"
"I would not tarry here." Lindir slid off the spider�s head and looked at the ground around us, littered with the devastation of the battle. He finally looked at me, "Are you alright?"
"Fine." I was about to wipe at my sweaty palms again, but then realized that I was splattered with enough dark spider blood and mud to last me a lifetime. Elendil and Lindir�s horse greeted us as soon as we walked out of the spider�s pen and too weary to mount, we did not speak as we lead them down the path, not caring whether or not we met another of her like.
The dark forests of Mirkwood closed about us once again, and finally, I noticed a rather sharp pain in my knee, but before I had a chance to dwell on it, the soft bending of a blade of grass caught my attention. Lindir snapped and his eyes scanned the darkness quickly. Grass? And another bend. All around. I gulped and Lindir acknowledge my though. We were surrounded. I drew my own blade but fortunately, I did not have to use it. From the darkness of the forest came a circle of merry brightly flaming torches bore by not more horrors, but a contingent of Wood Elves, surveying us with a look of surprise on their face.
"Well, well, well," Lindir finally broke the silence, "Who�s a little late?"